The Premier League consists of two rounds. In the First Round, every team plays each opponent twice, once "home" and once "away" (in actuality, the designation of home and away is purely arbitrary as most of the clubs do not have their own grounds), for a total of 22 games. The league then splits into two pools. Earned points are subsequently halved. Teams that finish in positions 1–6 compete in the "Championship Pool" and teams that finish in positions 7–12 play in the "Relegation Pool".

Vittoriosa Stars were relegated to the First Division after finishing in last place of the relegation pool last season. This ended a one-year stay in the Premier League for them. Taking their place in the competition are Balzan Youths, the champions of the Maltese First Division. Balzan are playing in the Premier League after a seven season absence.

Because of the league's expansion for this season, the second- and third-place finishers of the First Division, Mqabba and Mosta respectively, were also promoted to the Premier League for this season. Mqabba return to the top league after a three year absence while Mosta return after five years away.

Updated to games played on 4 March 2012.Source:[citation needed]1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.2This match originally ended 1-3 for Hamrun Spartans, but was awarded to Balzan Youths 2-0 following an appeal.[2]Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

1.
Association football
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Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries and dependencies making it the worlds most popular sport, the game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by getting the ball into the opposing goal, players are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play, unless they are goalkeepers. Other players mainly use their feet to strike or pass the ball, the team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is level at the end of the game, the Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in 1863. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football, the first written reference to the inflated ball used in the game was in the mid-14th century, Þe heued fro þe body went, Als it were a foteballe. The Online Etymology Dictionary states that the word soccer was split off in 1863, according to Partha Mazumdar, the term soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as an Oxford -er abbreviation of the word association. Within the English-speaking world, association football is now usually called football in the United Kingdom and mainly soccer in Canada and the United States. People in Australia, Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand use either or both terms, although national associations in Australia and New Zealand now primarily use football for the formal name. According to FIFA, the Chinese competitive game cuju is the earliest form of football for which there is scientific evidence, cuju players could use any part of the body apart from hands and the intent was kicking a ball through an opening into a net. It was remarkably similar to football, though similarities to rugby occurred. During the Han Dynasty, cuju games were standardised and rules were established, phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games. An image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on a vase at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens appears on the UEFA European Championship Cup, athenaeus, writing in 228 AD, referenced the Roman ball game harpastum. Phaininda, episkyros and harpastum were played involving hands and violence and they all appear to have resembled rugby football, wrestling and volleyball more than what is recognizable as modern football. As with pre-codified mob football, the antecedent of all football codes. Non-competitive games included kemari in Japan, chuk-guk in Korea and woggabaliri in Australia, Association football in itself does not have a classical history. Notwithstanding any similarities to other games played around the world FIFA have recognised that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe. The modern rules of football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England

2.
Malta
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Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta, is a Southern European island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 80 km south of Italy,284 km east of Tunisia, the country covers just over 316 km2, with a population of just under 450,000, making it one of the worlds smallest and most densely populated countries. The capital of Malta is Valletta, which at 0.8 km2, is the smallest national capital in the European Union, Malta has one national language, which is Maltese, and English as an official language. John, French and British, have ruled the islands, King George VI of the United Kingdom awarded the George Cross to Malta in 1942 for the countrys bravery in the Second World War. The George Cross continues to appear on Maltas national flag, the country became a republic in 1974, and although no longer a Commonwealth realm, remains a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations. Malta was admitted to the United Nations in 1964 and to the European Union in 2004, in 2008, Catholicism is the official religion in Malta. The origin of the term Malta is uncertain, and the modern-day variation derives from the Maltese language, the most common etymology is that the word Malta derives from the Greek word μέλι, meli, honey. The ancient Greeks called the island Μελίτη meaning honey-sweet, possibly due to Maltas unique production of honey, an endemic species of bee lives on the island. The Romans went on to call the island Melita, which can be considered either as a latinisation of the Greek Μελίτη or the adaptation of the Doric Greek pronunciation of the same word Μελίτα. Another conjecture suggests that the word Malta comes from the Phoenician word Maleth a haven or port in reference to Maltas many bays, few other etymological mentions appear in classical literature, with the term Malta appearing in its present form in the Antonine Itinerary. The extinction of the hippos and dwarf elephants has been linked to the earliest arrival of humans on Malta. Prehistoric farming settlements dating to the Early Neolithic period were discovered in areas and also in caves. The Sicani were the tribe known to have inhabited the island at this time and are generally regarded as being closely related to the Iberians. Pottery from the Għar Dalam phase is similar to found in Agrigento. A culture of megalithis temple builders then either supplanted or arose from this early period, the temples have distinctive architecture, typically a complex trefoil design, and were used from 4000 to 2500 BCE. Animal bones and a knife found behind an altar stone suggest that temple rituals included animal sacrifice. Tentative information suggests that the sacrifices were made to the goddess of fertility, the culture apparently disappeared from the Maltese Islands around 2500 BC. Archaeologists speculate that the builders fell victim to famine or disease

3.
Balzan F.C.
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Balzan Football Club is a Maltese football club from the village of Balzan, which currently plays in the Maltese Premier League. The Club was founded in 1937, and has played football once before in 2003–04. As of 24 June 2016 Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules, players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The Clubs Administration Building ‘Solerville’ is located at Main Street, Balzan, a bar and garden restaurant on the ground floor are open to the public. The Club’s modern training facilities, located at Robert Mifsud Bonnici Street, Lija, include a clubhouse, the clubhouse includes a conference room, a bar and a gymnasium and was officially opened on 13 March 2011. From September 2015, Balzan F. C. teams also commenced training at St Aloysius College Ground, notes 1Q, First qualifying round Official website Official Facebook page Official Academy Facebook page

4.
Ta' Qali
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Ta Qali is a village in Malta, a wide open space in the middle of Malta containing the national stadium, Ta Qali National Park and a national vegetable market which is locally known as the Pitkalija. Shortly before World War II, the area was used to build a military aerodrome, RAF Ta Kali was operational throughout the war and continued to be used as an RAF airfield until the mid-1950s. Latterly, U. K. -based squadrons visited Ta Kali as part of their annual proficiency training, since the departure of the RAF, the location has been transformed into a recreational area. The area is small in scale but considered by some in Malta as a place to go for a picnic. The National Park also includes an amphitheatre, a number of international concerts were staged at the park, including artists as diverse as Status Quo, Deep Purple, Fish, Iron Maiden, Demis Roussos, Alannah Myles, Bonnie Tyler and many others. International artists such as Riccardo Fogli have also planted their own trees in the Park, the newly built U. S. Embassy stands across from the TaQali National Park. In July,2011 the embassy relocated to TaQali from Floriana where it stood for fifty years. There is also the Malta Aviation Museum where one can find different types of related to Maltese aviation history. 13 Hours, The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is a 2016 American biographical war movie filmed in Malta and Morocco, the film follows the Sept 11-12,2012, waves of Islamic militant attacks on that U. S. diplomatic compound in Libya. Triq il-Mosta Triq il-Pitkali Triq ir-Rabat u l-Belt Valletta Triq l-Imtarfa u r-Rabat Vjal l-Istadju Nazzjonali

5.
Balzan
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Balzan is small town in the Central Region of Malta, one of the so-called three villages, together with Attard and Lija. The village originally consisted of a group of dwellings and farms but eventually grew. As of March 2014 the town has 3,958 inhabitants, in Malta, many village names are identical to certain family names, as in Attard and Lija. It is believed by some, therefore, that the village inherited its name from a family whose name was Balzan. Balsan literally means tax collector or contributions collector, the tax collector must have been from the same parish, at the time forming part of Birkirkara. The parish church, built in the century, is dedicated to the Annunciation of Our Lady. The church is built in the form of a Latin cross, has one belfry, the church is built on a Tuscan style from the outside and Doric on the inside. The statue used in the village feast celebrated on the 2nd week of July, is carved in wood by Salvatore Dimech and shows our lady and Gabriel the Archangel. The parish also celebrates the feast of St. Valentine, which gave the name to the radio station, Radio Valentine. As with Attard and Lija, Balzan is a sought after location and popular with the middle, the population has increased due to large-scale development taking place, largely in the form of apartment blocks replacing villas and their gardens. However, this is occurring on the outskirts of the village. The majority of Balzan is an Urban Conservation Area

6.
Birkirkara
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Birkirkara is a town in the central region of Malta. It is the most populous on the island, with 22,247 inhabitants as of March 2014, the city consists of four autonomous parishes, Saint Helen, Saint Joseph, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Mary. It is also home to St Aloysius College, the citys motto is In hoc signo vinces, and its coat of arms is a plain red cross, surmounted by a crown. Birkirkara means cold water or running water and this is attributed to the valley in the town. Originally, the name was written as Birchirchara, as influenced by the Italian alphabet which excludes the use of the letter k and it is often abbreviated as Bkara/Kara. Birkirkara is situated in a valley, which is from where its name is derived and it is in fact known for flooding on heavy stormy days. The area has also received embellishment works from time to time, there are many places of interest in Birkirkara, amongst them the Old Railway Station which is today located within a public garden. Trains were used as means of transportation across the island until the Railways closure happened in 1931, other town features include the Wignacourt Aqueduct built in the 17th Century, and St Helens Basilica, housing Maltas largest church bell. Various parishes and suburbs developed out of Birkirkara over the years, including Sliema, St. Julians, Msida, Ħamrun in the 19th century and Santa Venera in the early 20th century. In more recent years, San Ġwann and the hamlet of Ta l-Ibraġ hived off Birkirkara to form part of the new parish and locality of Swieqi in 1993. Birkirkaras main religious feast is that of St Helen which is celebrated on 18 August if it falls on a Sunday, the main event of the celebration is a procession with a large wooden statue carved by the Maltese master-sculptor Salvu Psaila. Notably, this is the procession on the island carried out in the morning. The procession leaves the basilica at exactly 8,00 a. m. the statue is lifted to shoulder-height by a group of townsmen and is carried through the main streets of the town. Birkirkara has grown into an important commercial centre as well as a populated residential area. As a busy town, Birkirkara has an incidence of car accidents. In Birkirkara, the temperature varies from 10.3 to 30.7 °C during a year, Joseph the Worker Parish Church, Triq il-Bwieraq St. Helens Parish Church, Triq is-Santwarju St. Casolani Da Vinci Hospital, Triq Kan. K. The latter is however definitely outshined by Birkirkara F. C. led by Adrian Delia, Birkirkara also eliminated Heart of Midlothian in the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League. Birkirkara Football Club Birkirkara Ultras 1997 Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club

7.
Floriana
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Floriana, also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014, Floriana is named after Pietro Paolo Floriani, an Italian military engineer who designed the Floriana Lines, the line of fortifications surrounding the town. In Maltese, the town is called Il-Floriana by the local council, however, it is popularly known as Il-Furjana, and the latter is regarded as the official name by the National Council for the Maltese Language. The towns original name was Borgo Vilhena after Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena. The name Borgo Vilhena is now used as a title, just like Valletta has the title Città Umilissima, the origins of Floriana go back to 1636, when construction of the Floriana Lines commenced. The line of fortifications was built outside the fortifications of Valletta as a defensive line for the capital city. The lines were named after Pietro Paolo Floriani, the Italian military engineer who had designed them, the fortifications were partially defensible by 1640, but construction and modifications continued throughout the 17th and 18th century, being fully completed in the 1720s. The area between the Floriana Lines and the Valletta Land Front began to be built up in 1724, the Assoċjazzjoni Sport Floriana, or Floriana Sports Association, sponsors a number of sports in the town, as well as hosting the Floriana Supporters Club. Saint Publius is one of the saints of Malta and also the patron saint of Floriana. The Archipresbyteral Church of Floriana is dedicated to Saint Publius, traditionally acclaimed as the first Bishop of Malta, according to tradition, Publius received the Apostle Paul during his shipwreck on the island as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles 28, 1–10. Being Maltese makes St. Publius the first Maltese saint and this explains the devotion which St. Publius enjoys around Malta, one finds various chapels and statues scattered around the Maltese Islands which date back to hundreds of years. Pjazza Emm. S. Tonna Pjazza San Kalċidonju Triq il-Konservatorju Triq il-Mall Triq il-Miratur Triq is-Suq Triq l-Argotti Triq l-Iljun Triq l-Isqof M. The National Audit Office along with the Department of Contracts and the Malta Environment, the Floriana Local Council was established in 1993 along with Maltas other local councils to administer the town. It is located at Emmanuel S. Tonna Square, the annual Isle of MTV music festival has been held in Floriana since 2007. Vilhena Band Club was founded in 1874, the first musical director of the band was Mro. Giuseppe Borg, and the first president of the Society was Baldassare Portanier, kevin Borg a Maltese singer and Swedish Idol 2008 winner was born in the town. He moved to Arvidsjaur, Sweden in late 2007 to live with his girlfriend and was soon cast as a contestant on the Swedish Idol series, St. Publius Parish Church, Triq Sarria Floriana Local Council, Pjazza Emanuel S

8.
Mosta
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Mosta is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, to the north-west of Valletta. In 2014, it had an population of 20,241. Mosta celebrates the feast of the Assumption every 15 August, popular among both the locals and the tourists, the town has many legends such as the Mosta Bride and a lot of historical places such as the Victoria Lines and medieval chapels. Mosta has its own scouts and girl guides as well as two clubs and two fireworks factories. A lot of traffic passes through Constitution Street, one of Mostas main streets which connects the South to the North, the main attraction in Mosta is the Rotunda – a huge round church with the third largest unsupported dome in the world. Mosta boasts the third largest unsupported dome in the World dedicated to the Assumption, the Feast of the Assumption is held on 15 August and it is a public holiday. The church is known as the Rotunda of St Marija Assunta. On 9 April 1942, the church was destroyed during World War II. An Axis bomb hit the dome of the church but failed to explode, the detonator was removed and a replica bomb is now displayed as a memorial. The Rotunda was designed by Giorgio Grognet de Vassé, a French citizen resident in Mosta, Mosta residents, at that time totalling not more than 1500, built the church. It took them 27 years to complete but the result is a tourist attraction of world standard, Grognet chose the type of stone by insisting on having one slab from each quarry operating in the Islands. He then proceeded to test their durability, in the end he chose a quarry in Mosta near to Ta Vnezja, at the gate of an old military airfield. The Cumbo Tower was the stronghold of Mosta in the Middle Ages and it is now owned by the Contessa Preziosi, the daughter of the late Barone della Quleja. As Mosta is at the centre of Malta, buses pass through Mosta on the way to Buġibba, Burmarrad, St. Pauls Bay, Qawra, Xemxija, one attraction in Mosta is the Speranza Chapel, which is situated close to the Speranza Valley. It was built in the 18th century, between 1760 and 1761, a legend tied to this small Chapel recounts that during a Turkish invasion, a young girl and her sisters were taking care of their familys sheep. While the sisters escaped, the girl couldnt run very fast because she limped slightly. It is said that she hid in a cave, and that she prayed to Our Lady and promised that, if she was to get out of there alive, she would build a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. When the Turkish invaders chasing her arrived, they didnt look for her in the cave because they thought the girl could not be hiding there because the web was intact

9.
Attard
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Attard is a town in the Central Region of Malta. Together with Balzan and Lija it forms part of the Three Villages and has been inhabited since the Classical Period and it has a population of 10,650 as of March 2014. Attards traditional Latin motto is Florigera rosis halo due to its flower gardens. Attard is abundant with gardens, including ornamental trees and flowers. The inhabitants of Attard are known as saraċini, the name of Attard is thought to have been derived from a surname assumed to belong to the first person who lived there. It is unclear what the word Attard means, some say it means blossoms as the word Attar means fresh oil of the flowers or from the Arabic Atr meaning perfume. As a municipality with its own government structure since 1994. Its population, including the estate of Misraħ Kola and surrounding environs, is around 10,000. It comprises to its North, facing the city of Mdina, beneath it the area known as Tal-Idward joins with Misraħ Kola, across from Wied San Martin, Wied Inċita and Wied Irmiedi, on the Żebbuġ side. Its western front is bordered by Wied is-Sewda, on the Qormi side, dingli, born and bred in Attard, is best known for his work on the Wignacourt Aqueduct, Porta Reale and several churches. Of these, only Attards parish church and the old church of Birkirkara remain unaltered. South of the core is the SantAnton Quarter, named for San Anton Palace. It is now the residence of the President of Malta and has long been a symbol of Attard. During the 1980s Attard experienced a boost in development, reflected in the large-scale construction surrounding the village center, however the area surrounding the church and the SantAnton Quarter feature a number of converted farmhouses and residences built by the Knights of St John, surrounding the summer palace. Attard is also the location of the St Catherine Nursing Home, the Attard Primary School serves as a polling station during elections and like all other localities in Malta, Attard Local Council elections are held every three years. The village center is a hive of activity, especially on Sundays when residents of Attard mingle with fellow churchgoers, Attard celebrates the feast of the Assumption of Mary on 15 August. The 15 August is a holiday on the Maltese islands. The parishs current parish priest is Noel Vassallo, the Maltese surname Attard is possibly linked to the village The Malta Amateur Radio League club house is situated in Attard and is the representative body for amateur radio in Malta

Balzan Football Club is a Maltese football club from the village of Balzan, which currently plays in the Maltese …

Image: Balzan FC logo

Balzan FC 1st team

Balzan F.C. players and supporters celebrate their Club's historic qualification to the UEFA Europa League following a 3 -1 victory over until then unbeaten 14/15 champions Hibernians F.C. on 26 April 2015.

The colourful traditional Maltese fishing boats, the Luzzu, one of the symbols of Malta. The painted eye on each side of the prow, is an old Phoenician custom, and believed to protect the boats from evil. Marsaxlokk is especially famous for the many Luzzu's in its harbour. In the background can be seen the parish church of Marsaxlokk dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary - The Madonna of Pompeii.